PIAA girls’ lacrosse: Archbishop Carroll tops Boyertown, 19-14

Senior Hannah Schmitt and younger sister Natalie Schmitt each scored five goals and Rachel Flynn added four as Archbishop Carroll outscored Boyertown, 19-14, today in the first round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament at Plymouth Whitemarsh.

The win vaults the District 12 champion Patriots (18-3) into the second round Saturday against District 1 runner-up Garnet Valley, which defeated Harriton, 18-10, today. Boyertown, the District 1 sixth-p-lace finisher, closes at 19-7.

Carroll trailed, 5-4, midway through the first half until Flynn tied it and Sheila Johnson put her team ahead, 6-5. Maddie Lesher then added two straight goals to give the Pats am 8-5 lead.

The Bears later closed within 9-8 in the second half, but Hannah Schmitt scored twice to make it 12-9. But after Amanda Smith (five goals) drew Boyertown within 12-10, Carroll scored five unanswered goals to seize control.

Carroll had defeated the Pioneer Athletic Conference champion Bears, 16-13, early in the season.

“We heard they got a lot better so that made us come out with even more intensity,” said Hannah Schmitt. “We have been working on our (offensive) plays.”

The 11-time Catholic League champion Patriots have lost in the second round in each of the first two season of PIAA tourney play. Now they face a major challenge in Garnet Valley, a Central League quad-champion and the No. 2 ranked team in the state.